Obama to propose changes to wildfire funding

AZUSA, CA - JANUARY 17: A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop on the Colby Fire burning for a second day in the hillside above Highway 39 on January 17, 2014 in Azusa, California. The so-called Colby Fire, has burned about 1,700 acres in the Angeles National Forest north of Glendora and Azusa. (Photo by Jonathan Alcorn/Getty Images)(Photo: Jonathan Alcorn Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - A White House official says President Barack Obama is proposing a major change in the way the government pays to fight wildfires.

The proposal would allow federal agencies to draw on a special disaster account when the cost of fighting wildfires exceeds their annual budget. That's the same way the federal government funds its response to other natural disasters.

The funding change proposal will be included in the budget Obama will send to Congress next month. Obama plans to discuss the proposal Monday during a meeting with governors from states impacted by wildfires and drought.

The official was not authorized to discuss the details publicly by name and insisted on anonymity. The proposal was first reported by The New York Times.